James prinsep

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions. • Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives. • In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions. • In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find. • In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history. • Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more. • While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today. • Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians. • Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! • Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space! James Prinsep, (born August 20, 1799, County of Essex, England—died April 22, 1840, London), antiquary and colonial administrator in India, the first European scholar to Prinsep was appointed to the Trained as an architect, Prinsep assumed responsibility for architectural projects, chiefly at Benares. He introduce...

​ PRINSEP, JAMES (1799–1840), architect and orientalist, born in 1759, was seventh son of John Prinsep, and a younger brother of Apart from his literary and scientific pursuits, Prinsep's work was by no means confined to his assay duties. Upon his appointment at Benares, finding a new mint under construction the architectural design of which was very defective, he obtained authority to complete the building upon an amended plan, which he carried out with considerable skill at the estimated cost of the original design. He was subsequently employed upon similar work at the same station, including the erection of a church. He also acted as member and secretary of a committee appointed to carry out municipal improvements. He improved the drainage of the city by constructing a tunnel from the Ganges to conduct water into it. He built a bridge of five arches of large span over the Karamnasa, a river which divides the province of Benares from Behar. He took down and restored the minarets of the mosque of Arangzíb, the foundations of which were giving way. After his return to Calcutta he successfully completed a canal which had been commenced under the direction of one of his brothers, an officer of the Bengal engineers, who was killed by a fall from his horse while engaged upon the work. The construction of this canal, which connected the river Hugli with the navigation of the Sunderbands, was a difficult work, involving the building of locks in soil of quicksands, and was regard...

It was on an early morning some time in 1837 that one of the biggest ‘Eureka’ moments in Indian history took place. The Brahmi script, an ancient Indian script that had for long flummoxed historians and researchers studying India’s past, had finally been deciphered. Finally, Indians could understand their distant past as never before. And the man who achieved this was an extraordinary Indologist and polymath, an Englishman named James Prinsep (1799-1840). In the 18th and early 19th century, very little was known of India’s past before Islamic rule. Noted author and historian John Keay in his book India Discovered (1981) quotes 18th century English scholar Thomas Twining, who while studying Indian history wrote in 1790: – It is at this epoch [1000 CE] that we come to a line of shade beyond which no object is distinctly discernible. What treasures might not be discovered if the light of science should ever penetrate this darkness. As the British empire began expanding across India following the Battle of Plassey in 1757, a number of British writers, travellers, scholars, merchants and officials attempted to cross this ‘line of shade’ to rediscover India’s ancient past. They were traversing newly conquered British territories to marvel at and study the ruins at Khajuraho, Ellora and Madurai. Among these was a young Englishman who started life in India as a junior employee at the Calcutta Mint and went on to leave an indelible mark on Indian history. His name was James Prinsep...

Prinseps is an avant-garde auction house that celebrates discerning luxury and prides itself on being a research-focused auction house with a par excellence archive and library. The name Prinseps is a reference to the Latin word meaning 'first' or 'foremost', to, the princely states and to James Prinsep, the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Best known for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India, James Prinsep’s diligent documentation and illustration of aspects of culture is reflected in Prinseps methodologies and processes. Having hosted multiple auctions to date Prinseps continues to foster research, curation, and further discovery within the art world. Following the inaugural auction where Prinseps was entrusted with artworks from the estate of Rathindranath Tagore (son of the nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore), subsequent auctions have gone on to bring together the leading names in modern and contemporary art, backed by strong provenances and publication details. Over time the brand Prinseps has grown to become a one-stop destination for the collector and connoisseur. We welcome you to a carefully curated platform of luxury items. Contact us at

It was on an early morning some time in 1837 that one of the biggest ‘Eureka’ moments in Indian history took place. The Brahmi script, an ancient Indian script that had for long flummoxed historians and researchers studying India’s past, had finally been deciphered. Finally, Indians could understand their distant past as never before. And the man who achieved this was an extraordinary Indologist and polymath, an Englishman named James Prinsep (1799-1840). In the 18th and early 19th century, very little was known of India’s past before Islamic rule. Noted author and historian John Keay in his book India Discovered (1981) quotes 18th century English scholar Thomas Twining, who while studying Indian history wrote in 1790: – It is at this epoch [1000 CE] that we come to a line of shade beyond which no object is distinctly discernible. What treasures might not be discovered if the light of science should ever penetrate this darkness. As the British empire began expanding across India following the Battle of Plassey in 1757, a number of British writers, travellers, scholars, merchants and officials attempted to cross this ‘line of shade’ to rediscover India’s ancient past. They were traversing newly conquered British territories to marvel at and study the ruins at Khajuraho, Ellora and Madurai. Among these was a young Englishman who started life in India as a junior employee at the Calcutta Mint and went on to leave an indelible mark on Indian history. His name was James Prinsep...

Prinseps is an avant-garde auction house that celebrates discerning luxury and prides itself on being a research-focused auction house with a par excellence archive and library. The name Prinseps is a reference to the Latin word meaning 'first' or 'foremost', to, the princely states and to James Prinsep, the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Best known for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India, James Prinsep’s diligent documentation and illustration of aspects of culture is reflected in Prinseps methodologies and processes. Having hosted multiple auctions to date Prinseps continues to foster research, curation, and further discovery within the art world. Following the inaugural auction where Prinseps was entrusted with artworks from the estate of Rathindranath Tagore (son of the nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore), subsequent auctions have gone on to bring together the leading names in modern and contemporary art, backed by strong provenances and publication details. Over time the brand Prinseps has grown to become a one-stop destination for the collector and connoisseur. We welcome you to a carefully curated platform of luxury items. Contact us at

​ PRINSEP, JAMES (1799–1840), architect and orientalist, born in 1759, was seventh son of John Prinsep, and a younger brother of Apart from his literary and scientific pursuits, Prinsep's work was by no means confined to his assay duties. Upon his appointment at Benares, finding a new mint under construction the architectural design of which was very defective, he obtained authority to complete the building upon an amended plan, which he carried out with considerable skill at the estimated cost of the original design. He was subsequently employed upon similar work at the same station, including the erection of a church. He also acted as member and secretary of a committee appointed to carry out municipal improvements. He improved the drainage of the city by constructing a tunnel from the Ganges to conduct water into it. He built a bridge of five arches of large span over the Karamnasa, a river which divides the province of Benares from Behar. He took down and restored the minarets of the mosque of Arangzíb, the foundations of which were giving way. After his return to Calcutta he successfully completed a canal which had been commenced under the direction of one of his brothers, an officer of the Bengal engineers, who was killed by a fall from his horse while engaged upon the work. The construction of this canal, which connected the river Hugli with the navigation of the Sunderbands, was a difficult work, involving the building of locks in soil of quicksands, and was regard...

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions. • Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives. • In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions. • In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find. • In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history. • Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more. • While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today. • Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians. • Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! • Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space! James Prinsep, (born August 20, 1799, County of Essex, England—died April 22, 1840, London), antiquary and colonial administrator in India, the first European scholar to Prinsep was appointed to the Trained as an architect, Prinsep assumed responsibility for architectural projects, chiefly at Benares. He introduce...

Prinseps is an avant-garde auction house that celebrates discerning luxury and prides itself on being a research-focused auction house with a par excellence archive and library. The name Prinseps is a reference to the Latin word meaning 'first' or 'foremost', to, the princely states and to James Prinsep, the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Best known for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India, James Prinsep’s diligent documentation and illustration of aspects of culture is reflected in Prinseps methodologies and processes. Having hosted multiple auctions to date Prinseps continues to foster research, curation, and further discovery within the art world. Following the inaugural auction where Prinseps was entrusted with artworks from the estate of Rathindranath Tagore (son of the nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore), subsequent auctions have gone on to bring together the leading names in modern and contemporary art, backed by strong provenances and publication details. Over time the brand Prinseps has grown to become a one-stop destination for the collector and connoisseur. We welcome you to a carefully curated platform of luxury items. Contact us at

​ PRINSEP, JAMES (1799–1840), architect and orientalist, born in 1759, was seventh son of John Prinsep, and a younger brother of Apart from his literary and scientific pursuits, Prinsep's work was by no means confined to his assay duties. Upon his appointment at Benares, finding a new mint under construction the architectural design of which was very defective, he obtained authority to complete the building upon an amended plan, which he carried out with considerable skill at the estimated cost of the original design. He was subsequently employed upon similar work at the same station, including the erection of a church. He also acted as member and secretary of a committee appointed to carry out municipal improvements. He improved the drainage of the city by constructing a tunnel from the Ganges to conduct water into it. He built a bridge of five arches of large span over the Karamnasa, a river which divides the province of Benares from Behar. He took down and restored the minarets of the mosque of Arangzíb, the foundations of which were giving way. After his return to Calcutta he successfully completed a canal which had been commenced under the direction of one of his brothers, an officer of the Bengal engineers, who was killed by a fall from his horse while engaged upon the work. The construction of this canal, which connected the river Hugli with the navigation of the Sunderbands, was a difficult work, involving the building of locks in soil of quicksands, and was regard...